Maite Kropp: Well-being of horses are never certain when sold

With decades of news reports about horses dumped lifeless in rural areas, their plight has not received the attention it deserves nor has there been an overwhelming public demand to save these sentient beings from the pitiless fates these unaccountable horses endure.

Maybe emotionally some people can’t handle the debauchery.

Economic cost plays a significant role in the proper care of horses. Commercial horse breeding, private ownership, veterinary care and feed are expensive.

Many times horses do not receive responsible care and suffer at the hands of ignorant and abusive owners.

Years ago, I was told by an individual living in the rural neighborhood I reside, about an individual who was beating a horse with a heavy, thick ring chain.

The man was said to be “taming” the horse.

As told to me, although others had witnessed this brutish behavior, none reported such blatant abuse to Solano County Animal Control Services. By the time I became aware of the situation, the man had moved away and the horse, nowhere to be found.

Incidents such as this, begs the question, “Are there Equine protection laws in the USA? “

If so, they are quite weak as numerous stories surface of horses mysteriously killed with these crimes unsolved.

Some of these horrors have taken place in the rural area of Broward County, Miami-Dade areas in Florida. As recently as Jan. 11 such a gruesome finding was encountered by a woman feeding stray dogs in this rural area near South Broward County later confirmed by police.

(These stray dogs are dumped by thoughtless individuals who no longer want them and believe they can survive in the country but they are typically shot, as is permitted by law when found roaming on private land or seen as a threat to livestock).

According to one report, the abandoned dogs’ feeder stumbled on the remains of nearly two dozen dead horses. The remains were those of severed head and legs that were found in various phases of decomposition. Sadly, she observed a small Chihuahua chewing on a horse leg remains out of hunger.

It is a travesty that Chihuahuas or any animal who have a chance for adoption are instead dumped in a rural desperately trying to survive.

Animal Control Services and other law enforcement agencies appear unable to stop the continued illegal slaughter of horses in Broward County.

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This clandestine vicious cruelty of horse killings continues. Why?

With advanced technology available in laboratories at Universities as well as state of the art techniques to solve crimes, why is it that these horrific cases continue and countless others have not been solved?

Miami-Dade Police Detective, Artemis Colome said an investigator with the agency’s Agricultural Patrol Unit found bags containing the remains of one or possible two horses stating, “we are talking to everyone there, homeowners, hopefully we get somebody to cooperate. We’ll see if any of the houses have cameras.”

This same response has been given by several individuals in past horse killing cases.

According to animal activist Rachel Taylor, it is not uncommon for the area, as remains of horses have been found often, stating, “We’ve currently done about 20 investigations of horse slaughter here before today.”

She did not give the number of cases resolved from the 20 investigations she mentioned or what specifically has been done to solve this latest nefarious butchery.

It was also insinuated that these horse slaughter cases can be connected to ritual killings or Santeria but such butchery is most likely profit driven.

Most of the cases in the last decade reveal the horse’s flesh had been removed, indicative that there is a black market for horse meat.

In some of the horse killings, legs were left behind, as was the case of the woman feeding the stray dogs who found one small canine chewing on an abandoned horse leg.

People living or working in this area have stated horse killings happen “frequently.”

Some plan to install cameras to catch these criminals.

For those who sell their beloved horse, one must realize that their well-being can never be certain as horse ownership changes often.

It all depends on the role imposed on the horse by the owner.

Is the horse a pet, used in entertainment, a working animal, a racing horse or sold to those involved in the nefarious black market of supplying horse meat within the United States or shipped overseas to Asia or Europe?

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The author is founder of Harmony Kennels Foundation, a non-profit 501(c) 3 educational organization that operates a permanent refuge for abused animals. Write her at P.O.Box 5112, Vacaville, Ca.95696 or e-mail maite@hughes.net.